Candy cane is receeding... anything to do?

[AustinVines]

My tank has been having some heat issues over the past few days (getting up to almost 84 and only down to 81 or so before lights come on). I noticed it wasn't feeding like normal and saw a red spot near one of its heads. It is now obviously receeding all over. Besides getting the temp controlled is there anything that can be done for it?

[Rekonn]

Can you post a picture? How are your other water parameters? How long have you had it?

[AustinVines]

I will snap a pic when I get home tonight if there is anything left and even if there isn't. And I will also do a full test on my params. On Saturday, calc was at 420, dKh 9-10 (can never really tell what "bright yellow" means on my Aquarium Pharm test - it could even be 11 I guess) 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites and 0 nitrates. Phos registers 0 too but I have bubble alage and diatoms all over my glass every other day so I assume that is a false reading. The coral has been in the tank, growing, for 6-8 weeks. I noticed it wasn't feeding as early as usual and then this started. :(

[blange3]

A lot of times they receed before they start to split. Get the temp back down and be patient. I have one frag that receeded to almost nothing for 2 weeks and then jumped from 4 to 12 heads in a couple of months.

Try the Salifert test kit for Alk. It's a lot easier to read.

[AustinVines]

Here is a picture of the coral from last night.
http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h81/austinvines/IMG_0963.jpg

As you can see in the top heads, the tissue has receeding from the base of the coral almost up to the "trumpet bell". I cleaned the four mj1200's in the tank last night and will do the same to the mag7 tomorrow. I blew some coral food over the retracted polyps after lights out and they began to extend shortly afterwards. I fed them three times so if they go, they will at least have a full gut :)

In the process of cooling the tank down, I at least partially poisoned my tank. I was doing a very small SW addition to the tank (4g) and had the SW in a bucket that I cooled off with freezer packs in what I thought was a sturdy bag. I forced the bag into the bucket and unknowingly punctured the bag and one pack, allowing the gel to mix with the SW. I have no idea how much made it into the SW but noticed when one species of xenia in my tank was mostly balled up and retracted. The bubble coral I have released some zooxanthellae but also fed during the night. I left before lights up but all the fish and inverts that I could see this a.m. seemed ok. What a boneheaded move though... I got very lucky (I hope).

[Mrs.kbmdale]

What is this "coral food" you mentioned feeding? LPS like to be fed "meaty" foods at least once a week. I feed mine 3x a week, alternating between silversides, scallops, squid, reg. shrimp, enriched brine, mysis, and cyclop-eeze. Mixing the last 3 items together to make one.
You should recheck all your params when you get home and repost, include ph too.
I did notice that it looks like almost everyone of those heads is in the process of splitting, so the more you feed them, the better. Also, when they are splitting, they will shrink into the skeleton for a few days, looking like they are on deaths door. Then they'll open with a vengeance again. You should target your calcium a little higher, like round 450. I keep mine at or above 450 ( I have several LPS and a few SPS ).

Here are a couple of great articles from Reefkeeping Magazine that are VERY informative, and a couple are money saving too! ;)

Calcium and Alkalinity with Randy Holmes-Farley (http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-04/rhf/feature/index.php)
A Simplified Guide to the relationship between Calcium, Alk, Mag, and PH with Randy (http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-06/rhf/index.php)
DIY 2 Part Calcium and Alkalinity Supplement with Randy Holmes-Farley (http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php)
DIY Magnesium Supplement with Randy Holmes-Farley (http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-07/rhf/index.php)


Good Luck and Happy Reefing!
Brianna:rollface:

[AustinVines]

Thanks for the advice on feeding. When you say meaty, can it be those foods minced/blended into very small particals or do they actually like some substance to what the corals take as food? I have used table shrimp before and just minced it and left it for the bottom dwellors.

I am using a frozen cube from h2oLife out that has rotifers, cyclops copedods, monia, phyto and spirulina. I mix 1/2 a cube with tank water and spot feed with about a 1/4-1/2 cup of water and spray the tentacles with either a turkey baster or a small squeeze bottle that creates a thin stream of water when sqeezed. I also have a powdered dry food that contains zooplankton, phyto, rotifers, copepods. I mix it in the squeeze bottle and shower the corals with food. Does this sound ok or should I find something with more substance? It is a very small partical size.

I use b-ionic, and have been trying to get my CA up with it and just started dripping kalk at night (1-2tsp per gallon dripped over 6-8 hours). I will try and get params shortly. I have read Randy's articles and will re-read these. One thing is that the temp is down to 82 which has been normal for this tank even before I got it.

Thanks and keep on giving advice.

[Mrs.kbmdale]

Austin, you're welcome :D

The "meaty" foods I listed above can be minced/blended, however you choose to do it. My corals are used to me being lazy and just chopping it up small enough to fit through my turkey baster ;)

The powdered dry food that contains the zooplankton, etc. sounds more like it should be just dosed to the tank as a whole. The corals will get what they need of it from the water column.

I run my tank temp between 78-79, with the use of 2 computer fans. One blowing air in and one sucking air out. I don't have them hooked to the timer though because depending on the house temp, some days I don't need them.

I think that covers your ?'s, if not I'll check back in a while :)

Good Luck and Happy Reefing,
Brianna:rollface:

[mushroom head]

I had a few heads go to skeleton when some mushrooms brushed against them.Moved it and in a week i couldn't tell them from the un stung ones.